Have you ever been hurrying along Swanston St, late to another lecture, and you get the feeling that someone’s watching you?
Well next time, look up - because someone is!
Sitting atop 407 Swanston St is not a wizard, but a Druid, and he wants you to join him.
The building named “Druids House” is now home to a dentist, podiatrist, and Korean restaurant, but it was once the headquarters of Melbourne’s druid society.
Druidism originated in the UK and Ireland, possibly as early as the 2nd century BC.
A Druid is a spiritual leader from the ancient Celtic religion, similar to a priest or shaman.
Druid leaders had many roles, acting as teachers, philosophers and judges for their communities.
Often compared to modern-day paganism, Druidism is a polytheistic spirituality devoted to respecting and worshipping nature.
So, what were they doing in Melbourne?
The United Ancient Order of the Druids (UAOD), whose motto is “Justice, Philanthropy and Brotherly Love”, was established in Victoria in 1862.
Druids House on Swanston Street was built in 1926.
According to an article by the ABC, Druids House functioned less as a spiritual site and more as a “benevolent society” or social club, which provided connection and support to its members.
The article said membership with Druids House would entitle you to sick pay and discounted medical treatment, in a time before employment benefits existed.
But once government employment benefits were introduced in the mid 20th century, institutions like Druids House became largely redundant.
In an article from 1927 published in The Argus (a defunct Melbourne daily newspaper), Druids House was described as a “fine six storied building” with oak used for the “panelling and incidental woodwork”.
The use of oak throughout the building is significant, as oak is the emblem of the druid movement and was considered sacred by its followers.
The word “Druid” is even thought to be derived from an Irish-Gaelic word meaning “oak tree”.
Though modern day Druidry still centres around a worship of nature, you’re unlikely to see bearded men in cloaks, conducting rituals in oak forests anymore.
Despite his looming presence, many RMIT students don’t know there is a Druid watching over our campus.
RMIT Professional Writing student, Riley Cronin, said he had never noticed the Druid statue before, but heard about it from friends.
“I’ve definitely had conversations with one of my friends about it before because he made a joke that we could become Melbourne’s ‘Druid College’,” Cronin said.
“I haven’t seen it in person, but I definitely know of it. I think I’ll look for it next time.”
Druids House is a reminder of the history all around us.
So next time you’re walking (or sprinting) to class down Swanston St, look around at the buildings there and see what clues into Melbourne’s past you can find.
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